Bottle cap



L. ABBOTTS BOTTLE "CAP Filed' Nov. 18, 1937 INVENTOR I" 3/,

BY Mfflxwak ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 22, 1939 BOTTLE CAP Leonard Abbotts, Bridgeport, Gonn., assignor to The Bridgeport Metal Goods Manufacturing Company, Bridgeport, Cnn., a corporation of Connecticut Application November 18, 1937, Serial No. 175,215

8 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in bottle caps, and has particular relation to ornamental caps for bottles such as perfume bottles, lotion bottles, etc.

An object .ofthe invention is to provide a cap of the kind indicated and including. an inner or bottle closure shell and an outer ornamental shell securely and yet inexpensively assembled and held in the finished. product by an improved mechanical construction which does not require.

soldering or welding, operations.

Another object is to provide an improved method of assembling caps of the character described.

Other objects and advantages will become ap-.

it is to be understood that the invention is not Fig. 4 is atop plan view of the inner shell of the cap;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section substantially on line 5'5 of Fig. 1;

Figs. '6 and 7 aredetail sections substantially on lines 66 and respectively of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 isa vertical sectional view through a .csomewhat different cap but made in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken as along the line 99 of Fig. 8.

Referring in detail to the drawing and at first particularly to Figs. 1 through 7 the improved cap includes an inner shell I0 comprising a top H and a screw threaded skirt or side wall l2. About its open end shell I0 is provided with an outwardly directed annular flange l3 and inwardly of such flange but below or outwardly of the threadsthe skirt is provided with an annular bead M. The upper or inner wall N3 of the bead is at a gradual slope or incline while its lower or forward wall I6 is at a steep or sharp inclineto receive the skirt portion of the shell [0 but of less diameter than the bead I4.

At spaced points notches l9 are provided in the edge portion of the opening l8 and at correspondingly spaced points in its sides the inner shell is provided with short ribs 20. In assembling the cap the outer shell I! is placed or telesc'oped over the closed end of the shell IE! as in the dotted line position of Fig 1. Then the edges of the opening [8 being on the rear or gradually inclined wall l5 of bead hi, the partial assembly is placed in a press and the edge of the opening l8 snapped over the bead it moving shell I! from the dotted to the full line position of Fig. l. The metal of the shell is sufliciently resilient to permit the edges of the opening to pass over bead M and then spring or snap in under this bead as shown. Although the edge of the opening passes over the upper more gradually inclined wall l5 of the bead under pressure, due to the steeper lower wall It on the bead it will require a much greater force to pass it back over the bead to separate the cap and shell and they are therefore effectively held against separation in use.

Next the flange I3 is rolled over onto the edge portion of the outer shell aboutthe opening 18 so as to clamp such edge portion against the sharp or steep face I6 of the bead It. In this way the two shells are securely attached to one another against separation. When placing the shells one over the other care should be taken to have the notches [9 of shell ll register with the ribs 20 of shell l0. Then when the shells are pressed together the interlocking ribs and notches prevent any relative turning of the shells.

It will be evident that the amount the metal of the shell IT can yield to pass over the bead I4 and then snap under this bead to give a tight connection is limited. Therefore where a particularly strong and rigid connection is desired between the outer shell I! and inner shell ID to overcome unusual strains additional securing means may be provided. Thus after these shells are forced together portions of the bead it may be forced outwardly to form a further grip between the two shells. Thus by means of a suitable tool, such as a punch, acting against the inner wall of bead l4 lugs 23 may be forced outwardly against the inner wall of shell i1 and as these lugs extend outwardly further than the bead [4, they overlap the shell I! to a greater extent and thus provide a firmer and stronger grip between the two shells and one which is much harder to break or loosen than that of the bead M alone. Any suitable number of these lugs 23 may be provided as desired, but for the usual tops three as shown are found to be suflicient. It is of course to be understood these additional lugs 23 may or may not be used as is found desirable.

It is not necessary that the outer shell I? be a ball or round. It need only be of a shape such that the lower portion Ila is turned in sufficiently so that it can spring over the bead M as described.

The bottle cap shown in Figs. 8 and 9 includes the outer shell ll secured to an inner shell 2| in the manner and by the method described when considering Figs. 1 through 7. The cap of Figs. 8 and 9 differs from the cap of the first described figures only in that shell 2! does not have its skirt portion screw threaded, but in lieu of screw threads is provided with a pair of spring fingers 22 lanced and pressed from opposite sides thereof to frictionally engage the neck of any bottle to which the cap may be applied. This automatically adjusts itself to variations in the diameter of the bottle neck. The outer shell l! and inner shell 21 are secured together in the same manner and by the same construction as are shells l0 and I! of Figs. 1 to 7.

From the above description it will be clear that the inner and outer shells of the improved cap are secured together without the use of solder or welding. The shells are mechanically connected in such manner that one may not pull out of or off the other and there can be no turning of the shells relatively. A neat and secure connection is provided, and since the edges of the shells have a complete annular clamping relation there can be no bending sideways of one shell relative to the other. In short the inner shell or cap will not turn in the outer shell or ball, it cannot be pushed in or pulled out and cannot be bent sideways, and still it is held in mechanically and is not soldered or welded. As above suggested the outer shell may be of the desired shape, the invention not being limited to the use of a ballshaped shell, and it is also mentioned that the outer shell may be colored or otherwise ornamented as desired.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a bottle cap, an inner shell to receive and close the neck of a bottle, said shell having an annular shoulder on its outer wall inwardly of its open end, an outer shell having an opening receiving said inner shell and having its portion about said opening turned inwardly and engaging the forward face of said shoulder, and said inner shell having its edge portion turned over onto the edge portion of the outer shell to retain it against said forward face of said shoulder.

2. In a bottle cap, an inner shell open at one end to receive the neck of a bottle, an outwardly directed flange at the open end of said shell, an outwardly directed bead on said shell inwardly of said flange, an outer shell having an opening therein and having its edge portions about such opening located between said flange and bead, and said flange clamping such edge portions against such bead whereby the shells are secured together.

3. In a bottle cap, an inner shell open at one end to receive the neck of a bottle, an outwardly directed flange at the open end of said shell, an outwardly directed bead on said shell inwardly of said flange, an outer shell having an opening therein and having its edge portions about such opening located between said flange and bead, said flange clamping such edge portions against such bead to secure the shells together, and interlocking means on the inner and outer shells whereby relative turning of the shells is prevented.

4. In a bottle cap, an inner shell open at one end to receive the neck of a bottle, an annular outwardly directed flange about the open end of said shell, an annular outwardly directed bead on .said shell inwardly of said flange, an outer shell having an opening therein and having an annular edge portion about said opening located between said flange and bead, and said flange clamping said annular edge portion against said bead whereby the shells are secured together.

5. In a bottle cap, an inner shell open at one end to receive the neck of a bottle, an outwardly directed flange at the open end of said shell, an outwardly directed bead on said shell inwardly of said flange, an outer shell having an opening therein and having its edge portions about such opening located between said flange and head to secure the shells together, and lugs pressed outwardly from the bead against the inner wall of the outer shell and extending beyond the head to provide an additional securing means between the shells.

6. In a bottle cap, an inner shell open at one end to receive the neck of a bottle, an outwardly directed bead on said shell adjacent said open end, said bead having a gradually inclined inner face facing away from the open end of the shell and a more sharply inclined forward face facing toward the open end of the shell, and an outer shell having an opening therein of a smaller diameter than said bead and enclosing the inner shell with the edges of the opening engaging the more steeply inclined forward face of the head to prevent longitudinal separation of the shells whereby the outer shell may be secured to the inner shell by forcing it over the bead from the inner face thereof.

7. In a bottle cap, an inner shell open at one end to receive the neck of a bottle, an outwardly directed bead on said shell adjacent said open end and having a sharply inclined forward face facing toward the open end of the shell and a less sharply inclined face facing away from the open end of the shell, and an outer shell of larger diameter than the inner shell having an inwardly inclined end portion provided with an opening of less diameter than the outer diameter of the bead, adapted to be forced over the bead from its less sharply inclined face whereby said inner shell may be located within said opening with the edges of the opening engaging said forward face of the bead to hold the shells against longitudinal separation.

8. In a bottle cap, an inner shell open at one end to receive the neck of a bottle, an outwardly directed bead on said shell adjacent said open end and having a sharply inclined forward face facing toward the .open end of the shell and a less sharply inclined face facing away from the open end of the shell, an outer shell of larger diameter than the inner shell and having an inwardly inclined end portion provided with an opening of less diameter than the outer diameter of the bead adapted to be forced over the bead from its less sharply inclined face whereby said inner shell may be located in said opening with the edges of the opening engaging the forward face of the bead to prevent withdrawal of the inner shell from the opening, and lugs pressed outwardly from the bead against the inner wall of the outer shell and extending beyond the bead to provide an additional securing means between the shells.

LEONARD ABBOTI'S. 

